Black and Veatch plans new $1.1 billion headquarters development
American Airlines add flights to KCI after Chiefs schedule is released
The finance committee will hear the engineering giant's pitch this week on why it should get about $250 million in funding support. Mayor Curt Skoog is excited about the potential redevelopment.
Just north of Sprint's former world headquarters, now Aspiria and soon to be the home to Fiserv, Black and Veatch's towering building sits on a sprawling site surrounded by grassland and parking,
'This is one of our strategic investment areas where we are wanting to transform College Boulevard from the suburban office corridor that is today to the work place of today and tomorrow,' Skoog said.
After three years of discussions, according to the mayor, Black and Veatch has decided it wants to keep its headquarters on Lamar between 112th and 115th Street.
The engineering firm said in a statement 'Black & Veatch continually explores ways to enhance and optimize our workplaces to create vibrant, collaborative environments that attract and retain top talent while meeting our growing demands and our clients' evolving needs. That includes consideration of a new, modern global headquarters currently being proposed on our existing, longstanding Overland Park location. We are working with the city of Overland Park for approval requirements, which is part of the process as we strategize how to best enhance our workplace. While no formal decisions have been made, we've been a strong, grateful member of the Kansas City-area business community since our founding more than a century ago, and we certainly don't expect that to change.'
It plans to build a 610, 000 headquarters for its 2,200 employees. They'd also add 233,00 square feet of office space, 550,000 square feet of retail and commercial, 1,884 residential unit and a 160 room hotel. They would also build a parking structure with nearly 6,000 spaces.
The company is asking the city to create a redevelopment district which would create an estimated $227 million in TIF funding and about $20 million in CID funding for Black and Veatch to use on the project.
FOX4 Newsletters: Sign up for daily forecasts and Joe's Weather Blog in your inbox
'When all of the complete project is done, which is more than the Black and Veatch headquarters, you are talking about over a billion dollars of investment, which is great for our community and investment in our industry which is office space.'
Overland Park's Finance, Administration and Economic Development Committee will discuss the project Wednesday. If approved developers estimate they'd be building what's been deemed the Overland Park Plaza II Redevelopment Project in phases all the way until the year 2038.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
6 hours ago
- Bloomberg
When the Plane's on Fire, Leave the Bag, Take the Baby
For decades, airlines have stressed the most important safety tip there is. Few passengers listen. Plus: AI ticket pricing and what happens to abandoned startup employees. After landing gear on an American Airlines jet caught fire in Denver, many passengers grabbed their bags before sliding down the evacuation chutes. Aviation reporters Leen Al-Rashdan and Harry Black talked with industry experts about why that's so dangerous. Plus: AI ticket pricing, tariffs' effects on college dorms, startups after founders leave and the PhD Project's Trump problem. If this email was forwarded to you, click here to sign up.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Tesla must pay $243 Million over fatal autopilot crash
Tesla Inc. was told to pay $243 million in a lawsuit over a 2019 Autopilot crash in Florida that killed a young woman and seriously injured her boyfriend, the first significant court loss for the automaker in litigation related to its driver-assistance technology. A jury in Miami federal court found Friday that Tesla was 33% to blame for the collision. A Tesla Model S ran a stop sign at a T intersection in the Florida Keys and rammed into the couple's parked Chevrolet Tahoe while they were standing next to it. Jurors issued their verdict after less than a day of deliberations following a three-week trial. The jury determined that the Tesla S driver was primarily responsible for the crash and that Tesla should pay $42.5 million to compensate the victims for their losses. The panel also ordered Tesla to pay $200 million in punitive damages, but the company said it expects that figure to be reduced by the court. Tesla had argued the driver was entirely at fault because he was distracted when he dropped his mobile phone on the floorboard. 'Today's verdict is wrong and only works to set back automotive safety and jeopardize Tesla's and the entire industry's efforts to develop and implement life-saving technology,' Tesla said in a statement. 'We plan to appeal given the substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial.' The Miami suit is one of a handful of crash cases that have gone to trial and the verdict tarnishes Tesla's near-perfect record in court. The electric-vehicle maker prevailed in two previous trials in California over Autopilot-related crashes and has struck confidential accords to resolve several cases that blamed defective technology for deadly accidents. The verdict comes as Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk faces enormous investor pressure after the company's stock has been battered, first by his close affiliation with President Donald Trump, and then by his dramatic falling out with the president. Musk has staked Tesla's future in part on autonomous driving as the company is launching a robotaxi business. But when Tesla recently announced disappointing second-quarter earnings, Musk warned that the company is in for a few 'rough quarters' as incentives like the EV tax credit go away in the US. At trial, the jury heard testimony from the driver of the Model S, family members of the woman who died, company engineers and various outside experts who discussed whether Autopilot played a role in the collision. George McGee, the driver of the Model S, had engaged his vehicle's driver-assistance system while traveling home from work. In the moments before the collision, data obtained from the vehicle showed that he had pressed the accelerator to 17 miles (27.4 kilometers) per hour over the posted speed limit, leading him to override the vehicle's adaptive cruise control before he went off the road. McGee testified that he had been on hold on with American Airlines trying to modify an upcoming flight. He said his phone fell and he was looking for it just before the crash. As his car left the road, McGee said he felt the texture of the road change under his tires and he remembered 'jamming on the brakes.' During questioning, he told jurors that he knew he was completely responsible for operating the car, but that he expected Autopilot to assist him in the event he made a mistake. 'In that case, I do feel like it failed me,' he said, according to a transcript of his testimony. The family of Naibel Benavides Leon, the woman who was killed, reached a confidential settlement with McGee in 2021 in a separate lawsuit. Lawyers for the estate of Benavides Leon and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, argued Tesla's Autopilot encourages complacency and that the company and Musk have overstated the system's capabilities, leading drivers to be overconfident in its abilities. They also alleged that Tesla failed to add safeguards to ensure the software was only available on roadways where it was designed to be used and features to monitor the attentiveness of drivers. 'Today's verdict represents justice for Naibel's tragic death and Dillon's lifelong injuries, holding Tesla and Musk accountable for propping up the company's trillion-dollar valuation with self-driving hype at the expense of human lives,' Brett Schreiber, lead attorney for the crash victims, said in a statement. Tesla, as it has in other cases, blamed driver error for the collision. Lawyers for the company argued repeatedly that McGee was an aggressive driver with a history of speeding, and that he took his eyes off the road and his hands off the wheel despite warnings in the owners' manual that drivers must stay engaged. The company has maintained there were no defects in its software and that Autopilot operated exactly as designed. Throughout the trial, Tesla defense attorney Joel Smith said no driver-assistance technology on the market in 2019 would have been able to prevent the crash. The automotive industry categorizes automation systems in vehicles from Level 0 to 5, based on what features are available. Level 0 features simply pass on information to the driver, like sounding a warning when you're driving out of a traffic lane. Tesla's Autopilot is classified as Level 2 because it requires constant driver input and supervision. Mekelburg writes for Bloomberg.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Newsweek
Southwest's New Policy Change Sparks Backlash—'Money Grab'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Southwest Airlines has announced a major policy change that brings to an end the carrier's decades-long open seating system, sparking backlash and a claim that it is a "money grab." The new assigned seating model, which allows passengers to pay in advance to select their seats, will roll out from January 27, 2026. It will apply to flights booked under the airline's updated fare bundles, which are already available for purchase. One financial newspaper editorial labeled the shift "a money grab," while social media has been filled with criticism. Newsweek contacted Southwest Airlines for comment and specific pricing information via email on Friday outside of usual working hours. Why It Matters The airline's open-seating model and "bags fly free" policy have long been cornerstones of its brand loyalty. Many loyal customers view the shift as a betrayal of the airline's founding identity and are publicly threatening to switch carriers. The seating fees follow Southwest's May 2025 decision to end its free-checked-bag policy, introducing new baggage fees of $35 for the first bag and $45 for the second. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 airplane prepares to takeoff at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on July 10, 2025. A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 airplane prepares to takeoff at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on July 10, 2025. SAUL LOEB/AFP viaWhat To Know Travelers can now pay to select their Southwest seats in advance on flights departing from January 27, 2026, including options for extra-legroom seating. Passengers who do not select a seat will be assigned one automatically at check-in. Seat selection fees are expected to vary depending on the seat type and route. "Southwest® Customers will be able to choose from various fare bundles, some that offer the opportunity to select a seat during the booking process, as well as access to the different seat types—Extra Legroom, Preferred, and Standard. Customers will also be able to purchase a seat upgrade to elevate their travel experience," Southwest announced in a news release. Some major airlines, such as American Airlines, still allow passengers to choose their seat for free when they book or, in the case of American Airlines, buy a Preferred Seat in a more favorable location or a Main Cabin Extra seat with more benefits. United Airlines offers assigned seating, with Basic Economy advance seat assignments starting at $15 per flight per person, similar to Delta. While airlines argue the changes provide more options and clarity for customers, critics say it signals a shift toward profit-driven complexity and added passenger costs. "If I am paying extra for all these things, I might as well fly a premium airline like Delta," said one traveler, cited by The U.S. Sun. Some see the decision as abandoning what made the airline unique. A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) editorial labeled the shift "a money grab," while social media has been filled with criticism from travelers who feel the airline is no longer a budget-friendly option. Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, as per Visa Verge, stated: "This is how you destroy a brand. This is how you destroy customer loyalty. And this, I think, is going to send Southwest into a financial tailspin." A recent Senate report revealed that the five largest U.S. airlines collected $12.4 billion in seat selection fees between 2018 and 2023. In some cases, revenue from seat fees has surpassed what airlines earn from checked baggage. The report found that airlines are increasingly using algorithms and customer data to personalize pricing and maximize revenue. This is especially true for seat selection fees, which can vary widely depending on the route, demand, and from customer to customer. Southwest CEO Bob Jordan defended the decision, as reported by The New York Times, calling it "exciting" and saying it aligns with customer demand for more certainty and family-friendly seating. The airline estimates the changes will generate $1.5 billion in annual seat revenue and contribute to a $4.3 billion increase in overall operating profit by 2026. What People Are Saying Dawn Gilbertson, Travel Columnist, WSJ: "This is a money grab, and it will no doubt succeed. Southwest was criticized for years by Wall Street for leaving fee money on the table. Now it will get its share. The airline's executives said last week that they already have seen evidence of travelers trading up for tickets with more perks." Southwest Airlines in an emailed statement to Newsweek on Friday: "Our new fare bundles are out for sale for travel beginning Jan. 27, 2026, and beyond. On that date, we'll move to assigned seating and sunset our open seating model. As for pricing, that's a regulated topic that we cannot discuss publicly outside our required reporting to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Searching around on would return only anecdotal results as route, stage length, demand, date of travel, date of booking, etc, can all affect fares." Former Southwest Board Chairman Rakesh Gangwal, in a statement announcing new Board Chair Doug Brookes: "In a short period of one year, Southwest implemented a massive overhaul of its business model that will serve it well for years to come. Not many companies have the courage and conviction to fundamentally change ingrained aspects of their business model for the benefit of all their stakeholders. The transformation of Southwest Airlines is well underway." Tony Roach, Executive Vice President Customer & Brand, at Southwest Airlines, in a statement: "Our Customers want more choice and greater control over their travel experience … Assigned seating unlocks new opportunities for our Customers—including the ability to select Extra Legroom seats—and removes the uncertainty of not knowing where they will sit in the cabin. This is an important step in our evolution, and we're excited to pair these enhancements with our legendary Customer Service." Southwest CEO Bob Jordan in an interview with The New York Times: "You have to keep talking because sometimes people don't understand what you're doing. What I find is that once folks know where we're headed, they're very excited. I think you just have to play through this period of change because change is hard. Our employees are excited about the changes." What Happens Next The seat assignment option is now available for bookings, but the new boarding and seating systems won't take effect until flights departing January 27, 2026. Passengers who hold Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards or A-list status may continue to access certain seats for free, depending on the timing of their booking, according to the new guidelines.
